The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-02-23
A apRofgssloNAL scApEeoAT.g
a Description of the DUTIES or his pe-
nffinn-I.nfh fnr. Il.i,,,- s,..,i.ln.I

PROFESSIONAL SCAPEGOAT." 4
a Description of the Duties OF HIs Po-
sition-Paid for Being Scoldcd.
Professional scapegoat's does not APP
pear among the thousands of occupations
which designate the mhnner OF employ
ment of the inhabitants of this city us
classified IN the Plaila,ieEpIiia Directory
More than. oneanan whose nsfne appears
there graesthby the simple but comprc-
heiisiye word clerk Is, If the truth
We're known, fully entitled 70 classified
itibn rs a professional scapeaoats There
Is more than one who IS paid a sIll,stan-
tial salary by large houses for no other
occupation than taking upon his should
erS the hlaine for all the lnisslcetls OF the
csstai ilishment and suffering tlie supposed
loss of liis situation at the rate of ten or
a dozen times a day. or as1ntlcll oftener
as occ;lsSiUn may require. Being dis
charged half a dozen tiinesa day without
once losing his position, and at the same
time being we'll paid for the peculiar per
fofinsaiccs is. in,leed, a novel idea. This
Is how it is done: ~ ess
a lady makes u purchase of several ar
ticles, all Of Which are to be sent to her
address as given. before a certain hour.
without fail. Tho folicYing dasr the Gus
TONER rcttsTlis AID iiS lier own ssyet way
procce,is TO estear out the floor nlanaccr
or proprietor, as it; may be. because the
goods failed to arrive at the promised
hour. The story IS patiently heard, and
the word is passed along for Smith.
Smith makes his appearance with ccun-
tenance professionally penitent and sub
missivc.
.'Spitl,' the manager begins, "you
were instructed to send this lady = foods
to the address ;;iven you before q. :5l:''
.'Yes, sir, y is Smiths plaintive reply,
'.but''
Never mind an explanation. 1 un-
derstand. Your neg Get caused the dc
lay and has risked the loss of one OF our
best customers. We an not put up with
your carlessness any longer. You may
go to the Office and s, your pay" Smith
steals away with IL ;ulyInaIle crestfallen
look uron his face.
.Madanl, / regret the occurrence of
such an unnecessary blundcr, but assure
you it will not happen again; Etlrcly not
from that man, and madam takes her
departure fully satisfied fiat She has Ind
her revenge.
Another irute customer appears on the
scene. This time ;he trouble is with n
chased week before as in perfect order,
Tut has already begun to show signs of
approaching dissolution. The aggricvcal
purchaser opens on the manager, who at
once sends for the "nan who takes tho
blame" and opens the usual programme.
..IIow is this, sir: What do you mean
by sending out goods in such condition:
You lnvc been rcpcatetil. told not to per-
nit any goods to leave your department
unless in perfect order. This is not the
first time this has happened; but it will
bc the last. Go 10 the Office and get your
pay; we have no further use for your
services.
Madam, 1 am very sorry tIist you
should have been so deceived by enc of
our salrSmcn. We can not very we'll
take hack the furniture after it has been
used. hut we will send man to Your
house to put it in proper shape" and the
lady goes her way satisfied that shc has
received justice.
1.-The man who takes the blame is
next discharged for ovcrctsrging in maxi
ing a sale of silk dress goods. He then
suffers TRADE OF abuse, and IS also to go
because he las sold set of fine china
without calling tho attention of tho pur-
chaser to several little defects. And so it
day. week In and week ont. The poor
fellow is made to suffer for all the sims of
the entire establishment from the mana
ger down 10 the GRAND boy.
Does it payy'' echoed n prominent
business man the other day in response TO
an inquiry on the subject. We'll, /
should say it did. Why, we have man
who tafe.; the blame for our establish
lncnt who is worth thousands of dollars
to us every year. We can sell n good
many slightly damaged or imperfect
goods which we could not otherwise dis
pose of except ut n great sacrifice. Then
we save great many good customers
who become displeased about small mat
tcrs which arc not done just az they Ike.
1t is n strange but true fact that many
people arc satisfied to put up with con-
siderable Inconvenience if they can only
be revenged BY seeing some one dis
charged. Sometimes when we bring out
our man who takes the blame tic Gus
toner ventures to suggest that he is not
the one who waited on licr, but VIC insist
that he is, and the man adds his own as
Sertion, and in nine cases out of ten the
customer is convinced. Very fcN. people
take enough notice of n salesman to
identify him, unless they meet him frc-
quently. have known some establish
ncnts that have employed two or moro
men to take blame III order to facilitate
matters. The funniest part of the thing,
is that our scapeSoat man grows fat on
being 'cussed.' uc has increased from
$50 to $50 pounds il fifteen months. and
smiles SO pluch that we viii have To
change him and set some d. sPcptic look
ing individual in his place. '-Philadel-
pilia Record.
stewards wording women's Home.
When A. T. Stewart tried in his l,lun-